Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has set the record straight over the allegations of demolishing a Ksh.100 million factory to pave way for the construction of her office. 

A report by the Daily Nation claimed that the county government brought down the Animal Feeds Factory in Arujo Ward, Homa Bay County and decided to replace it with the governor’s office.

The report also showed that two activists had challenged the construction of the governor’s office in court, blaming the county government for not involving the public in the decision and claiming it did not follow the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act 2015. 

In a statement, Homa Bay County Government spokesperson Atieno Otieno termed the report as inaccurate, saying that the site was replanned according to the law after the factory’s construction failed to meet mandatory construction standards. 

The county spokesperson detailed that the construction of the factory began in 2014 but stalled after failing to receive approvals from the relevant agencies such as the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) due to its close proximity of about 300 meters to the Kabunde airstrip and thus on the flight path.

As a result, the area was replanned under the Physical Plannings Act and the animal feeds project was moved to the County Aggregation and Industrial Park at Rita Special Economic Zone. 

In its place, the county government clarified that it had replanned the site to serve as a Huduma Centre, pointing out that they had received all the necessary approvals.

According to the statement, Governor Wanga’s administration had taken up all projects left unfinished by the previous administration to maximise on public funds.

“The project and its unfinished structure became a "ghost project," and the building deteriorated over the years, as shown in the photo below. The condemned buildings could have not cost Ksh.100 million. The project was later decommissioned," the statement read in part. 

"Under Governor Wanga's leadership, projects left unfinished by previous administration such as this one continue to be repurposed or completed to maximize public funds' value."

In the Daily Nation report, the two activists demanded the county government provide information regarding the valuation and a clear plan outlining the reason for demolishing the factory and the expected benefits. 

“The county government did not use a public auction or tendering, both standard methods for the disposal of public assets. Failure to advertise the disposal publicly raises concerns about transparency and fairness,” read a petition from the activists as quoted by Daily Nation.